Patent Document 1 discloses a control apparatus for an internal combustion engine comprising a variable valve mechanism that changes the valve close timing of the intake valve, and a compression ratio variable mechanism that changes the compression ratio by changing the top dead center of the piston. In such a control apparatus, while the compression ratio variable mechanism keeps the compression ratio as high as that for idling operations at the startup of the internal combustion engine, the variable valve mechanism allows the intake valve to close at a timing which is far from the bottom dead center at the beginning of cranking. The variable valve mechanism also allows the intake valve to close when the piston comes close to the bottom dead center after cranking has started.